Say
by E. Limberg
Summary: Mac/Stella. Mac and Stella become closer as she begins to worry about Diakos coming back for her. Ella, who is stalking Mac, becomes jealous of Stella's relationship with Mac and decides to do something about it.
1. Express Fears

**Say**

**Chapter 1: Express Fears**

"_Take all of your wasted honor_

_Every little past frustration_

_Take all of your so-called problems_

_Better put them in quotations"_

A soft knock on her door causes Stella to look up from the case file. "Hello."

"I was wondering if you wanted to grab a drink or dinner or something," Mac comes in and moves close enough to her desk to see what she is looking at.

She hesitates; since they had fought a week ago about her continuing with the Sebastian Diakos case, they hadn't really been speaking. "Is there a particular reason you're asking me to join you?"

"We need to talk."

"Mac, I gave it up. The Major Case guys can find him."

He sighs, realizing he used the wrong words. "I want to talk with you. It's been a while since we went out and talked about something other than work."

"Okay," she closes the folder and stands.

**MT*SB**

"What's bothering you?" he rests a hand on hers.

"Nothing," her green eyes refuse to meet his blue ones.

Mac frowns, "Stel…"

"It's Diakos. I'm… afraid he'll come after… me again," she gives in.

Sighing, he squeezes her hand, unsure of what he should say. She was always so strong and composed and supported him when he needed it, yet he has no idea how to comfort her. "I'm here for you, Stella," he whispers. "He'll be caught soon."

She shakes her head, "You don't need to be involved. He'll just hurt you too."

"You know you can always stay with me until you feel safe," he says before his brain can stop him.

"No… no, I'm okay," she gives him a weak smile. "But thanks for the offer."

"I want you to know that I'm sorry I yelled at you. I guess I thought that you'd be safe if you weren't working the case, but… he can still get you if he wants you. I just don't want you to be lying on Sid's table."

"I understand," she pulls her hand from his as their meal arrives. They eat in a comfortable silence.

"Detective Taylor," Ella approaches their table as Mac is pulling out his wallet to pay the bill.

"Ella, it's nice to see you again. How are you doing?"

"Much better. I need to thank you for saving my life. I was just… feeling sorry for myself. I guess and made a stupid mistake. They put me on medication to help," she turns to Stella. "You must be Mac's girlfriend."

"Actually she's my partner," Mac corrects. "Stella, this is Ella. Her father… passed away. You know, the case with the house on the river?"

The two women shake hands. "Nice to meet you. I'm sorry about your father."

"I'm learning to move on. Well, it was nice to see you. I need to be going," Ella says.

"Don't hesitate to call if you need anything," Mac reminds her.

"Bye," she heads out the door.

"I think she likes you," Stella looks amused.

"She's just lonely. Maybe I remind her of her father or something…"

"When did you save her?"

"Oh, she cut her wrists last week. I took her to the hospital."

"How many times have you seen her since her dad died?"

"A few. At the grocery, when she cut her wrists, here, outside the lab during lunch break a few times…"

"She has a crush on you," Stella smiles. "And I think she's following you too."

"It's just coincidence. Besides, I've got to be at least fifteen years older than her."

"So? You're a handsome man."

Mac blushes and stands, "Let me drive you home."

"No, I'll take a cab. You live across town."

They walk out of the restaurant together, and he frowns at her. "You don't need to do that. I insist on taking you."

"You're still uneasy about cabs, aren't you?" Reluctantly she follows him to his truck.

"You can never be too careful."

**A/N: What can I say about this... there's seven more chapters. I'll try to update every few days. The song is by John Mayer. I guess you need to know that Stella listened to Mac and really has given up on finding Diakos, or at least she's not trying anymore. Unlike on the show. And it'll get more interesting in the next two or three chapters. Including some injuries. I think in just about every one of my stories someone is injured. For once I did not have five hours of homework. But part of that is because we're reading Paradise Lost in English and we've lost some time going over what he had us read already because of scheduling and vocab. And we have to read the other section in class so... hopefully we won't have homework this week and part of next. I can't wait until next week... NY is new. Oh, I found out that Stella's fireman is coming back. She's going on a date at some fundraiser thing I think and there's a murder there. Sound familiar? She and Frankie went somewhere and there was a crime scene there. And Bones is new tomorrow... and Booth might die. I don't think he will, but it's still exciting. Anyway... I will try to post the next chapter Friday or Saturday. Please review.**


	2. Ask Questions

**Chapter 2: Ask Questions**

"_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say"_

Mac pulls up next to her apartment building, and she hesitates before getting out. "Thanks for dinner. And for bringing me home," she glances behind her at the building.

Although he can tell she is trying to hide it, he can still see the fear in her eyes. "Stella… I'll walk you up," he gets out as well, hoping that he'll make her feel just a little be safer. She doesn't protest. He unconsciously rests his hand on her back as they go inside.

Outside of her door she stops. "I… I think I'd like to take your offer… if you don't mind," she says uncertainly.

"Okay," he puts a hand on her shoulder, knowing how much strength it must have taken her to admit her fear. "You don't have to be strong all the time."

Stella wraps her arms around him, and they stand there for a few minutes. Finally she pulls back. "Sorry… I… let me grab a few things and then we can leave."

He waits patiently for her to pack and takes the bag from her when she is done. They ride silently down to the lobby, and he again puts his hand on her back. He opens the door to his car for her, and she shakes her head at him for being such a gentleman. "My mother wanted me to impress all the ladies," he smiles.

"It does," she kisses his cheek before getting in the car.

Unbeknownst to them, Ella sits a few cars back, watching the whole scene.

**MT*SB**

Stella is standing in line for a coffee when she spots a familiar face. "Ella," she calls.

The girl turns to see who is calling her. Stella waves. "Oh, hi," she smiles.

"You want some?" she gestures to the stand. Ella shakes her head. "So what are you doing down here? Looking for Mac?"

"I just needed some fresh air, and my feet led me this way. I wasn't really looking for him."

Stella pays for her coffee, and the two start to walk back toward the lab. "He's out at a scene right now."

"Is he married?" Ella asks innocently.

She glances at the girl, "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. He's a great man, and whoever he's chosen to be with is lucky to have him."

Stella nods in agreement. "No, his wife died was in one of the towers when they fell."

"Oh. That must've been tough for him."

She doesn't comment, not wanting remember what the two of them went through. Her phone rings, "Bonasera."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight and get a drink," Mac asks.

"Tough case?"

He avoids answering, "You want to meet at that bar around the corner from your place?"

"Eight o'clock okay?"

"Yeah. I'll see you later."

"Don't forget," Stella hangs up.

"So… the two of you seemed close when I saw you the other day."

"We are… We've been through a lot together as partners."

"Have you ever thought about being more?"

"Mac wouldn't date a coworker. Besides, we're fine with what we have now."

However, her words do nothing to quell Ella's jealousy. "I wish I had what you have with him. I mean, not necessarily with him, but with someone. My dad and I were close… but I got him killed."

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault," Stella says as they stop in front of the lab. "I should get back to work. It seems criminals don't rest."

"Bye," Ella smiles, thinking about Mac and what it would be like to kiss him. But first she had to get rid of the one person that stands in her way.

**A/N: So now you guys probably have a better idea of what's going to happen... I'll post the next chapter either Monday or Tuesday, which ever day I have more time on. I don't think anything's happened really for me to talk about. Although I don't think most of you read my notes anyway 'cause you're always like please continue soon, and I normally tell you right in the beginning when I will post the next chapter. Or sometimes in the end. Anyway... the snow is melting. I think it's supposed to be warm most of the week so maybe it'll all disappear. And then come back so we can have more snow days. Well, I guess that's all for now. Please review.**


	3. Reveal Information

**Chapter 3: Reveal Information**

"_Walking like a one man army_

_Fighting with the shadows in your head_

_Living out the same old moment_

_Knowing you'd be better off instead,_

_If you could only…"_

"Stella," Mac calls.

She turns from seat at the bar, "You made it. And you're only… seven minutes late."

"I couldn't find a place to park."

"So… what'd you want to talk about?"

He gets a beer and leads her over to an unoccupied table. "He killed someone else. Two… actually."

She doesn't even have to ask who. "Another coin?"

"We didn't find any in the house so he must have gotten it. One of the victims was… a girl. She was home when her father was killed."

"Same MO?"

"The father was, but he… stabbed the girl," he decides it best to leave out the more gruesome details of her murder. She lets out a deep breath. "I was wondering if you thought it'd do any good to notify the Greek government. He doesn't have immunity over there so they might be able to do something to stop him."

"I don't know," she shrugs.

"I was thinking I'd convince Sinclair to pay for a trip over there, and we'd go explain our situation. And it'd give you some time in Greece."

"With our budget? I don't think he'd go for it."

"You're probably right," he concedes. "Maybe you could work with the Major Case guys and tell them your idea to catch this guy."

"It probably won't work. You were right to stop me."

"There's no harm in trying, Stella."

"What if innocent people get killed because he finds out the coins are fake? What makes you think the Major Case Squad would even consider my plan?'

"They were at the scene. And they didn't seem to have a plan."

Stella wraps her arms around herself. She isn't even attempting to hide her fear from him. "Mac, he sent me a package today. I think there's somebody else he's killed that we haven't found yet."

"What was inside?" he asks. Choosing to ignore the fact that she hadn't told him sooner, he has a feeling he already knows what it is.

"A… heart."

"What'd you do with it?"

"I gave it to Sid to freeze. I figured sooner or later we'll find out who it belongs to."

"It's the girl's. Her heart was missing. He must have cut it out. But Sid didn't say anything to me."

"Maybe he had forgotten about it by the time you got back."

"Do you want another drink?" he offers. She shakes her head. "Do you want to get some fresh air?"

"Okay," she stands up, and he helps her get her coat on before putting his own on.

Once she has her scarf and gloves on, he leads her out the door. "I assume you're coming back to my place tonight."

"If you don't mind."

"It's nice not to be alone," he smiles at her.

"How would you know? If I wasn't there, you'd probably be spending your evenings in the lab," she teases.

He laughs, "You're probably right. So… do you want to head home?"

"Yeah, it was a long day," she yawns. Mac wraps his arm around her shoulders.

"Detective Taylor," a female voice behind them calls.

The couple turns around, finding Ella standing there, a gun in hand.

"Ella, what are you doing here?" Mac asks, seeing the gun and thinking she's going to attempt suicide again.

She lifts the gun up and points it towards Stella. "I want you to know that I love you, and I hope you understand why I'm doing this."

"No, Ella," Mac yells, stepping in front of Stella just as she pulls the trigger.

**A/N: So who got shot? You'll have to wait to find out. Sorry it took so long to update I kind of forgot about it during the week. And then yesterday was terrible and I have a headache that won't go away. So... I don't know when I'll update next. Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. Depends on how much homework I get. **


	4. Expose the Guilty

**Chapter 4: Expose the Guilty**

"_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say"_

"Mac," Stella screams, barely registering the pain in her arm. She runs to his side and presses her hands to the wound on his chest.

"Is she okay?" he asks, trying to look for Ella.

"Mac, she shot you, and you want to know if she's okay?"

"Are you okay?" he covers her hands with his own.

"Yeah, I'm fine. And she ran away."

"No, you're bleeding, Stel," he points to her upper arm, which is slowly turning red. Becoming dizzy, he blinks a few times.

"Your wound is worse."

By this time a few people have come out of the restaurant and bar to see what is going on. An ambulance is on the way, they assure the couple.

"Stella, I need to tell you something."

"It can wait, Mac. You're not going anywhere. You can't leave me here alone."

His legs become weak, and he slides to the ground, leaning up against the building. "I don't want to leave, but… there's a lot of blood," he looks down at himself.

"Try to stay conscious. I hear the sirens coming," she can see that he is struggling to keep awake.

"You… you were right. She was stalking me… I should have believed you."

"Don't worry, Mac. We'll find her," she kisses his forehead as the ambulance pulls up at the curb.

The paramedics climb out and bring a gurney over. They help Mac onto it before loading him in the truck. "Help her… first," he whispers and passes out shortly after.

One paramedic looks over at her, "You were hit too?"

"Just a flesh wound. Worry about him."

He hands her a gauze pad to hold to the wound and turns back to Mac. "You two look familiar."

"Detective Bonasera and he's Detective Taylor."

"Detectives? Then this should be a simple case. You two probably got a good look at the shooter and can ID him."

"Her, actually. She… kind of had a crush on him and was stalking him."

As they get closer to the hospital, the paramedic turns to her. "Your partner should make a full recovery and be back on the job in a few weeks. If the shot had been any higher, it would have hit his heart."

"She… she was aiming for me. Mac… stepped in front of me."

"It's a good thing he did. Her shot was probably dead on." He peels back the fabric of her shirt to examine her wound. "You just keep holding that to your arm. It's not bleeding as much anymore. I'll let a doctor take care of it."

"What about Mac? Where is he going?"

"We'll take him to the operating room so he can be fixed up."

"Okay."

The ambulance stops moving, and Mac is unloaded. A nurse approaches Stella and takes her to the waiting room. "A doctor should be out shortly to treat you."

Stella waits about ten minutes before a doctor calls her back. "That blood isn't all yours, is it?" he gestures to her hands.

"No, my partner was shot, and I tried to help him."

"Oh," he cleans her wound, causing her to wince. "I guess you were the lucky one."

"Actually, if it isn't too much trouble, I was wondering if you could check on him. He's in surgery now."

"I'll send a nurse over as soon as I finish up," the doctor places a piece of gauze over the wound. "This will need changed every twelve hours. I'll give you a prescription for painkillers. And… I don't want you to use this arm for a week so…" he pulls out a sling, "you should probably wear this to remind yourself. The wound penetrated the muscle so you'll feel some discomfort."

"Thanks," Stella reluctantly allows him to put the sling on her before she leaves. Back in the waiting room, Danny, Lindsay, and Flack sit in a corner. "How'd you guys find out Mac and I were here?"

"Both of your cars were at the scene. And witness descriptions match you and Mac."

"How is he doing?" Lindsay asks.

"The paramedic said he should be back at work in a few weeks. A nurse is supposed to update me in a few minutes."

"Do you have any idea who shot him?" Flack asks. "Or even just a description?"

"She was aiming at me, but Mac stepped in the way. The bullet hit millimeters from his heart. He risked his life to save me." Realization finally hits her and a tear escapes her eye. "She said she loved him and hoped he'd understand why she was doing what she was. She… she wanted me out of his life because she thought she'd have a chance."

"Who was it, Stel?" Danny gently presses, resting a hand on her good arm to console her.

"It was Ella."

**A/N: So they're both okay. Now they have to find Ella. And discuss what's going on between them. Oh, Ella is supposed to be on the episode next week so... maybe I'll have this posted by then. Or almost done. We're half way done now. Sorry for not giving you anything to read about on Saturday... I had a bad day at dance. Almost every week my dance teacher gets distracted by these people that come in; she's friends with this lady whose daughter dances with my dance teacher's son. So anyway... they came in this week and talked for like ten minutes about how ugly one of their costumes was. And I just kind of stood there in the corner and waited. And they went on and on... and then they went to look for another costume in one of the books. So then I got really mad 'cause she gets distracted like every week by these people. So apparently she thought I was disrespecting her when she finally came back in and got really mad. If she wouldn't go and talk for ten minutes every week, I wouldn't get mad at her and act like that. So... yeah, wasn't really fun. I understand she has people with questions that she needs to answer, especially around the beginning of the year and around recital, but were not near either of those and it's always the same person. They can talk to her whenever they want. And I know it's not her fault they come in every week and disrupt us but... she could say something. So... I spent like the rest of the day in bed mad and with a headache. Anyway... please review. I'll update Thursday or Friday.**


	5. Give Advice

**Chapter 5: Give Advice**

"_Have no fear for giving in_

_Have no fear for giving over_

_You'd better know that in the end_

_It's better to say too much_

_Then never say what you need to say again"_

Stella stands by the window watching the snow fall. "Hey," a soft voice behind her says, and she turns around.

"Mac," she smiles.

"What happened to you?"

"The bullet just grazed my arm."

"You're in a sling."

She grimaces, "Doctor's orders."

"I'm glad you're okay," he reaches out to her and takes her hand.

"But you're not. For a minute there I thought I was going to lose you. You had me scared."

"I wasn't going anywhere."

"Mac, the bullet was millimeters away from your heart. You could have died," she turns away as a tear flows down her cheek.

"I saved you. You're only a little shorter than me; the bullet surely would have hit you in the heart. So maybe you need to stop wearing heels so you're more than just a little shorter than me. We wouldn't have this problem then," he smiles faintly at her, and she knows that he doesn't blame her for his injury. "Besides, my mother said you should defend the woman that loves you."

"I think the anesthesia made you a little confused. Ella said she loves you, not me."

"But she's…"

"Crazy?" Stella supplies.

He tilts his head sideways, "That works. But I was going to say she's not the woman I love."

Her heart skips a beat. She looks down at the ground. An awkward silence envelops them. Finally, she speaks, still avoiding eye contact. "I have to go," she whispers before leaving the hospital room.

Mac stares at the door, hoping she comes back. He could have sworn she loved him too. Why didn't she say so?

_Maybe she's scared. But she has to know that I won't hurt her… at least not intentionally. She could be scared that we'll lose our friendship. I am too, but I really do love her. Maybe she's just not in love with me. _He goes over all the situations in his head. There are too many possibilities for him to pick one.

The door opens, and Danny, Lindsay, and Hawkes walk in. "Hi," he says, his hopes sinking.

"Where'd Stella go? I thought she was in here with you," Sheldon looks around, puzzled.

"She left. I don't know where she went."

**MT*SB**

Stella walks down the hall to the interrogation room. Flack and Angell stand outside the door, talking. "I want to talk to her," she says.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. She wants you dead, Stella. We found the gun in her apartment, but she hasn't confessed to anything yet."

"What's she going to do to me? You two will be right here if she tries anything," she persists.

"Fine. Ten minutes."

When Stella enters the room, Ella looks up. "Oh, it's you."

"Who were you expecting? Mac? He's laying in a hospital bed right now because of what you did to him."

"Is he okay?" she asks quietly. Stella contemplates telling her that he is just barely alive, hoping to make her feel worse. "I didn't mean to shoot him."

Although the girl had tried to take her life, Stella finds she can't lie to her. "He'll be fine in a few weeks. But… you're lucky. The bullet was just millimeters below his heart."

"What about you?"

"Just grazed my arm."

"I just didn't want to be lonely anymore. And he was so nice to me when my father died so I thought… I don't know what I thought. But I could tell he cared a lot about you so I had to find some way to… get you out of the picture," Ella confesses. "I'm really sorry."

Stella finds herself pitying the girl and hands her a card. "I hope you find a good lawyer that can convince a jury of you being mentally unstable after your father's death."

"I'm going to jail?"

"Probably. But if you get a good lawyer, you might have a lower sentence," Stella stands to leave.

"I… I just hope that you appreciate what you have with Detective Taylor. Whether he expresses it or not, he loves you," Ella says before being led away.

**A/N: Well that's the end of Ella. I think. But we still have lots of problems to solve in the story... I'll update tomorrow if I get lots of reviews. Or Sunday if I don't get that many. So... the more reviews, the faster you find out what happens to them. Anyway... I have tons of English homework this weekend. I'm not sure why he gave us so much 'cause we'll probably only get through maybe one of the short stories he gave us to read. We have like three stories and two bio pages to read. Plus if we do vocab on Monday, we'll have less time. I should write for a while... Or go do my physics worksheet and calculus homework. Or I could read... I shouldn't let myself do that though because I need to get this story done. Then I have to come up with another idea because I have like five more songs I like but no idea what to do with them. I'm thinking I could write another one about Diakos and have him attack her again. Well... I guess that's all for now. Please review.**


	6. Admit Feelings

**Chapter 6: Admit Feelings**

"_Even if your hands are shaking_

_And your faith is broken_

_Even as the eyes are closing_

_Do it with a heart wide open"_

"I'll take it from here," Stella tells Hawkes, who is sitting beside Mac.

"I'll be at the lab. Take care," he smiles at the couple before exiting.

"Where'd you go?" Mac remains staring out the window.

"I… went to the police department and… talked to Ella. She said she's sorry for hurting you."

"I hope the judge doesn't go too hard on her."

She sits down in the chair vacated by Sheldon. "I'm sorry I walked out on you, Mac. Things between us are just… complicated."

"I know. And I'm sorry for putting more pressure on you," he reaches out a hand to her.

"Since you came out and told me, I have to be honest with you. I've been waiting years for you to say it. But… now that you have, I just don't know."

"I understand," he gently squeezes his hand. "Besides, they might get suspicious if you and I started dating because Lindsay is pregnant with Danny's child and Flack and Angell are seeing each other."

A small smile passes over her features. "Did they tell you or is that just gossip in the lab?"

"He told me… I don't think he really wanted to, but he kind of slipped up and had to explain."

"I don't want to be office gossip, Mac. Not that they won't take something between us the wrong way… but they're always looking for something. We start dating, and then there's rumors of us… doing inappropriate things at the lab and stuff."

"I could always fire them if I catch anyone talking instead of working… Sinclair's been after me about the budget again."

"No… it's probably better if we don't start anything. I don't want things to go wrong between us; I couldn't get by without you. But… I do love you, Mac," she kisses his cheek softly.

"So… what did Ella have to say?" he decides to change the subject. He vows to himself to give her his heart, whether she gave him hers or not. She would be the only person he'd ever love from now on.

"Not much you probably couldn't have guessed. She asked about you and said she didn't mean to hit you."

"And you probably told her I was dead to make her feel bad," he chuckles, stopping as soon as he started; it causes him pain to laugh.

"She thought you cared about her and that she might have had a chance with you. She said she didn't want to be lonely. So… the only thing stopping her was me."

"Why were you stopping her?" he frowns.

"She could tell you loved me even though you probably didn't know it yourself."

"I never thought she'd take my kindness because of her father's death the way she did." Mac sighs, "So how long until I can get out of here?"

"You could have died. They're not going to let you out for at least a week," she frowns at him for even thinking about leaving.

"They can't make me stay if I don't want to."

"Well, I'm not going to let you leave, even if I have to sit here the whole time and watch you. Which means Danny would be in charge of the lab…"

"I get it… I'm stuck here. You… you have to go to work so Danny doesn't blow up my lab," he says, sad she can't stay with him. "Although you're injured too…"

"As long as I don't use that arm, I will be fine. You risk pulling stitches out and bleeding to death."

"What about paperwork? Could I do that instead of sitting here and doing nothing all day?"

"I suppose." She'd rather him relax and not worry about it, but if it would keep him in the hospital, she could manage it.

"Well, I guess you should be getting to work," Mac checks the clock beside his bed. "Don't hurt yourself."

"I'll come by this evening." She leans down to kiss his cheek again, but he turns his head, her lips meeting his instead. She blushes and turns to go. "Don't give the nurses a hard time."

**A/N: Wow, you guys sent lots of reviews. I guess you guys didn't like that she just left him without admitting how she feels. So... now she kind of has. There's still two more chapters of this left. What in the world did I write about for two whole chapters? I can't remember. I think I still need a title for the last one though. I think I ran out of other verbs that mean say. Well... I have two more stories done after this one. But they're both only one chapter. I guess I need to get writing. I don't have anymore ideas though... plenty of songs to use but no idea what to do with them. I think I might use one and have Diakos attack Stella again and have Mac find out what she's doing. And eventually they'll catch him. So... if you have any ideas... let me know. I guess this is all for now. I'll update Monday or Tuesday depending on how much homework I have.**


	7. Show Appreciation

**Chapter 7: Show Appreciation**

"_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to, say what you need to"_

Stella parks in front of his apartment building and gets out to help him. He is already out of the car by the time she gets to the other side. "Mac," she glares at him.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting out of a car, Stella." He reaches out to take her bag from her only to be scolded with another frown. "Sorry. It's just habit."

She puts the bag on her shoulder and walks inside with him. "What would you like for dinner?"

"Anything but more hospital food."

"A better question is what's in your fridge."

He shrugs, pushing the number for his floor. Surprisingly she doesn't reprimand him for doing so. "How do you plan on cooking with one arm when I can't help you?"

"I'll manage."

Mac sighs, "Why don't we order something? Or let me take you out."

"Okay," she gives in, realizing how limited they are with only one arm to lift things.

"Stel, are you sure you don't want me to come stay at your place? It'd be a lot easier on you."

"It's fine. Besides, _you're_ the injured one."

"So? I'm not going to sit in my apartment for the next three weeks until I've recovered."

"You can't go to work," she blocks the doorway into his apartment.

"I'm not going to go climbing into any dumpsters; that's Danny's job. And the evidence we collect is generally tiny. It's not going to injure me to pick it up." She doesn't move. "You're working, and you have an injury."

"How many times do I have to tell you that mine isn't life threatening? I can't do anything with my arm anyway if it's in a sling. They have nothing to prevent you from doing things you shouldn't."

"Yeah, they do… You."

"You're still not going."

"What if I promise not to leave the lab?"

"Fine," she concedes. "But I'm going to have Lindsay keep an eye on you so you're not doing anything you shouldn't be."

Mac rests his hands on her shoulders. "Thank you, Stel. For volunteering to take care of me."

"Well, I'm the only one who'll stand up to you. You'd tell everyone else to go home, and they'd listen to you."

"You're too stubborn for your own good."

"And you're not?"

He ignores her comment, gently pushing past her to get inside to avoid the desire to kiss her. "The guest bedroom is all yours since I know you won't negotiate that with me."

"There are two beds and two of us; does it matter who sleeps in what bed?"

"Anyway, what would you like for dinner? Italian, Chinese, Mexican, or something else?" he picks up the phone to order.

"Whatever you want," she says nonchalantly and wanders off.

Minutes later he finds her staring out the window, watching the cars pass by on the street below. "What's wrong?" he wraps his arms around her waist from behind.

"They caught Diakos today," she says quietly.

"You weren't helping?" She shakes her head. "Did you talk to him?"

"Flack didn't think it was a good idea."

"I agree with him," Mac pauses. "I thought you'd be happier about it."

"I was thinking about all those innocent people he killed just to get those stupid coins."

"At least you don't have to worry about him anymore. And he can't kill anyone else."

Stella turns to look at him. "I feel guilty. For surviving."

"I really don't think he intended on killing you, Stella. Everything shows he acted quickly with the other victims, no hesitation in snapping their necks. But with you… he didn't even try. Maybe he thought threatening would be enough… which means he didn't do his homework very well."

"I was sure he was going to come back for me because I was trying to catch him."

"I'm glad you're okay, Stel," he can't stop himself from leaning forward and kissing her. Once their lips meet, he refuses to separate from her.

**A/N: One more chapter to go. Will she give in to him? I'll post it probably Thursday... if I don't have tons of homework. That English that I told you about that I had to do over the weekend took like eight hours to do. And it took me three hours just to do my English last night. Luckily today's essay was only like two pages long so it took a little over an hour. And then I had to do two nights of math homework. I really don't understand yesterday's... I can't wait for the new episode tomorrow. Ella is back I think. Even though she is gone in my story. Of all the places for that eyeball to land, it goes in Stella's coffee. But she's talking to Mac about Ella when it happens so... I guess I can forgive that. That's like the one essay we had to read over the weekend about eating babies to get rid of the poor people in Ireland. Gross. Anyway... I guess that's it for now. Please review.**


	8. Acknowledge Love

**Chapter 8: Acknowledge Love**

"_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say_

_Say what you need to say"_

Stella eventually pulls back. "Mac…" she whispers, torn between her emotions.

"I'm sorry," he turns his head away. "It's just really hard not to… since I love you and you say you love me."

"I do, Mac. It's just that I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'm not going to hurt you," he tucks a strand of curls behind her ear.

"I can't lose you."

"You won't," he takes her hand in his. "It can work."

"No, I'll ruin it. Just like every other relationship I've ever had."

"Stel, Frankie was the crazy one who took advantage of what he had with you. You didn't do anything wrong. You did what you needed to. And Drew… never really loved you. He was just using you to get to me. And… well, I don't really know any others."

"Mac…" she wraps her arm tightly around him. "You deserve someone better."

He puts his arms around her cautiously, "But you're the only one I want."

She stays there, not paying attention to his words. She is torn between the thought of spending the rest of her life with him and losing him forever. Ella's words echo in her head.

"Stella," Mac says gently. She doesn't move. "Stel… you're kind of hurting me."

"Oh, I… sorry," she pulls away, breaking contact with him. "Mac… once we make the decision, we can't go back to being just friends. After… this, I don't know if I can be just your friend."

"So be more."

She hesitates, "I… I love you, Mac."

He takes this as a yes and kisses her again. Slowly he backs her up until she is pressed against the wall. His hands rest on her waist, gradually inching under the hem of her sweater to feel her soft skin. Her good hand is on the back of his head, tangled in his short hair. His lips leave hers and trail to her ear before heading down her neck.

There is a knock on the door, making both of them freeze. They look at each other. "I'll be right back," Mac kisses her cheek one last time before going to answer the door. It is the delivery man with their food. He pays the guy and puts the food in the kitchen.

Stella wanders into the kitchen after him. "Mac?"

"Yeah?" he turns to face her, worried that she's going to tell him that she's changed her mind. His hand goes to her neck, where a bite mark is visible. "Sorry," he whispers.

"It's okay. I can cover it tomorrow."

"So what did you want to say?"

"Are we…" she thinks for a moment, "… allowed to be together?"

"I… I haven't read anything forbidding it. But marriage isn't allowed."

"But Danny and Lindsay are married," she frowns.

"I guess I should have been specific. Marriage between two people of different ranks isn't allowed."

"Oh."

"If you want to change your mind, go ahead. I won't be mad at you."

"No, it's okay, Mac. I can live with not being able to get married."

"Well, we can't exactly have kids either."

"That's okay; neither of us wants to give up our job."

"You're sure this doesn't bother you?"

She kisses him, "It's fine, Mac. I never pictured my life being like this, but I'm with the man I love."

"So how long exactly are we… limited?" he gestures toward her sling.

"I go back in a week and a half and will hopefully not have to wear this thing anymore. You… get your stitches out in two weeks, but you aren't supposed to participate in physical activity for a month and a half. Why?" she looks at him curiously.

"I just wanted to know how long we have to wait before we can…"

"Mac, I think we need to take things slowly. I know you love me and I love you, but this is a big step."

"Okay, I'll try to be patient," he smiles at her.

"If you weren't injured, I would so hit you right now."

"Stel, I didn't mean it. We'll go as slowly as we need to," he kisses her cheek softly.

"It's hard to believe that this all happened because you were being stalked," she says quietly.

"I should have told you years ago when I first knew I loved you."

She kisses his lips lovingly, "I know now, and that's all that matters."

**A/N: Happy ending after all. I hope that wasn't the last time we see Ella on the show; she can't not try to get him to love her. And Stella has to be able to say I told you so... I liked their deep conversation though. And when the eye fell in her coffee, no matter how gross it was. The case was kind of boring, but it was a decent episode. So next we have the Danny/Lindsay wedding... and Adam and the bomb I think. And then the Greek people are back in the following week... I think. And some guy returns as a bad guy. I don't remember him. So... what do I have for you next... a cute little Mac and Stella story that involves a furry friend. And then one where they think Stella killed this woman because she thinks that the woman killed her daughter and her blood is found at the crime scene. And then... I don't know. I want to write something about Diakos and I have three songs I could use... but I don't really want to use the one that fits best right now. If you guys have any ideas for stories... please let me know. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Please tell me your final thoughts.**


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